Robin Aguilar will be discussing their research of genetic dark matter and their work for LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM during the BE Series event on Jan. 24. Aguilar is a queer and trans Ph.D candidate at the University of Washington.
“I’m really excited to meet other people in science and connect with students,” Aguilar said.
Aguilar grew up in Los Angeles. As a child from a low-income household with a Latinx background, the transition to college was a challenging one. Aguilar was confused throughout the process; from filling out their FAFSA to applying to various schools.
“I didn’t have any family members who had even gone to college,” Aguilar explained. “It was kind of like a black box for me.”
As a queer individual, Aguilar also felt a sense of loneliness. This was because there weren’t many other people in their program with the same intersecting identities. However, they were also able to find empowerment throughout their journey. They find a sense of meaning through creating curriculum, as part of their graduate research. They hope to publish it in the future.Aguilar believes it is important to teach queer history and antiracism to help science progress as a whole.
“It at times can be pretty isolating and pretty lonely,” Aguilar said. “Beyond isolation I think there is a lot of empowerment.”
For the event, Aguilar chose the theme BE Adventurous. From exploring art in their higher education, to coming from diverse backgrounds and everything in between; their path has not been linear.
“In being a scientist you don’t have to follow this singular career track,” Aguilar said. “There’s a lot of ways you can invest in what you’re passionate about.”
Aguilar works to empower and inspire their community on a regular basis. In their first year of graduate school they co-funded the Genome Science Association of the Inclusion for Marginalized Students at their school. According to Aguilar’s website, GSAIMS aims “to provide peer support and mentorship to aid individuals as they transition and navigate through their careers in genomics PhD programs.” Aguilar wanted to create a space of support for all students, regardless of their identity. Other groups present on campus often felt exclusionary to students of color, or those that are non-binary or transgender.
By sharing their story with the UO community, Aguilar hopes to show people that scientists come from all paths of life. They want people to feel like they can follow their passions, regardless of their background or identity.
People who attend the event will gain a better insight into Aguilar’s beginnings, passions and current projects. Accompanying the event will be a free dinner served at 5:30pm. Aguilar’s talk, hosted in the EMU ballroom, will begin at 6 p.m. For more information checkout the BE Series Instagram @uo_beseries.
